Why You Should Never Order Diet Coke On A Plane

When flying, there are a few cardinal rules everyone should follow: Don't hog the armrest, always use headphones for music or movies, and only store one carry-on item in the overhead bins. But there are also some unspoken airline food rules you might want to take note of, too — like ordering hot coffee or tea isn't advisable due to how infrequently the aircraft's water tanks are cleaned.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

And now there's another faux pas that flight attendants are sharing: ordering Diet Coke.

Apparently ordering the diet soda is infuriating for crew members because of how overly fizzy it gets when poured. According to a blog post on These Golden Wings from 2013 that has recently resurfaced, Diet Coke takes longer to pour than any other soft drink or beverage while up in the air.

Like any other soda at cruising altitude, it becomes extra bubbly because the CO2 is able to release more easily in the lower air pressure of the cabin. Still, for some reason, Diet Coke is the worst offender.

"Soft drinks foam up a lot more when poured out of a can, and the worst culprit for this is Diet Coke – I literally have to sit and wait for the bubbles to fall before I can continue pouring," the writer, who goes by the pen name Jet, explained. "If all three passengers ask for Diet Coke I'll often get them started, take another three drink orders, serve those, and then finish the Diet Cokes."

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Jet later went on to film a video in which they demonstrate a solution to pouring Diet Coke, saying "what you can't see is that the Diet Coke doesn't come out of the can when flipped upside down until you lift it up and tilt it slightly. This is because the air pressure is keeping the Coke in the can. It makes pouring the Diet Coke very controllable and reduces the chances of spilling or overflow."

While this may seem trivial to some, it's an important factor to consider when you're not-so-patiently waiting for your ginger ale and pretzels. "Pouring Diet Coke is one of the biggest slow downs in the bar service and on the shorter flights those precious seconds count!" Jet wrote.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Delish participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.